KIDNEY, ANYONE? 1984 “Imported for Dodge” Conquest

Early flat-sided Mitsubishi Starions are far less common than their later, wide-body counterparts. Early, flat-sided Mitsubishi Starions badged as Dodges are even rarer. And finding an early, flat-sided Mitsubishi Starions badged as a Dodge Conquest with a factory black-on-gold two-tone and color-keyed wheels? Well, that’s like stumbling upon Bigfoot and Ogopogo having a party in the woods. Yet, there’s an impossibly clean example for sale in Abbeville, Louisiana for sale right now.

The car in question is a 1984 model, and might very well be the ultimate spec flatty. With a turbocharged, 145-horsepower, 2.6-liter inline-four and 5-speed manual, it’s got the mechanical goods. And with only 61,000 miles on the clock, you’re unlikely to find one closer to new.

However, it’s the aesthetic touches on this particular specimen that set it apart. First and foremost is the glorious black and gold paint job. Though the color combo was used quite frequently in Dodge ads of the day, few seem to have actually survived. Furthermore, even when new it was one of the very few two-tone paint jobs Mitsubishi offered outside of Japan.

Inside, it comes with the 6-way adjustable leather seat option. The geometric stereo design is a work of 1980s beauty. The two-tone theme continues, and makes you want to lounge back in a wood-lined room and sip on a black and tan.

If you were selling a Dodge Conquest on Craigslist, you would probably put the words “Mitsubishi” or “Starion” somewhere in the ad to help potential buyers find you. Not this seller. Instead, they make use of a 1984 Dodge license plate insert featuring the Confederate flag in what appears to be an un-ironic fashion.

Um, the seller knows that the car was made by Japanese folks, right? If not, there’s even helpful lettering that says “Imported for Dodge” underneath the “Conquest.” More to the point, badging on the hatch ensures all drivers behind you know that the car is a Turbo as well.

The seller even says it “recently won Top 25 in a car show,” though admittedly there seems to be a bit of context missing — namely, how many cars were actually in the show. The car is being offered at $6,500, which seems like a more than fair price for this rare gem, especially when it was offered on eBay last year for $12,500. To see the full ad, check Craigslist Lafayette, and as always, caveat emptor.

Thanks to Martin K. for the tip!

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9 Responses to KIDNEY, ANYONE? 1984 “Imported for Dodge” Conquest

  1. Joel says:

    Wow. Nice. I used to have a Conquest Tsi. Man I miss that car.

  2. Glenn says:

    I would hapily see that car destroyed simply to stop the owner from parading around such an awful symbol of hate.

  3. Howard Dreispan says:

    I agree about the plate! but let’s get back to the significance of this car. I had a 1986 flat fender, and traded that in for a new 1989 Wide Body. I still have the ’89! These cars are always forgotten…When we talk Japanese car history, these cars are RARELY mentioned, if at all! I’m glad to see this one made it to this forum. I’m real happy to see that the owner has taken care of it! I hope JNC will public MORE articles on this ‘unsung hero’!

  4. Jim Simspson says:

    Guessing the new owner would know how to take a license plate off… just sayin, that is not the cars fault.

  5. David Cotter says:

    I would not get to wound up about the plate. Louisiana is a Deep South state after all. If the owner really hated Japanese cars they would have driven the crap out of it until the engine blew.

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